Making Inferences

As Martin walked down the street, he noticed that most people were carrying closed umbrellas. Although he had not seen a weather report, what could Martin infer?

When he got home, Pete took off his muddy boots and left them on the front steps; he would clean them off later. He went directly into the bathroom and took off his dirty overalls, changing into clean jeans and a t-shirt. He’d spent along day in the fields, but he was satisfied that he had accomplished quite a bit. What is most likely Peter’s occupation?

Mary rushed through the door and called out, “I’m here! I’m sorry! I’m here!” Her mother appeared in the doorway to the kitchen, looked at her watch, and glared at Mary. “Well hurry up, then,” she said. “Don’t make us wait any longer than you already have.” The reader can reasonably infer which of the following?

A mother is pushing a cart through the grocery store. A little girl, around three years old, is sitting in the cart. The girl reaches for a brightly-colored box, and the mother gently takes it away from her. The girl begins to cry. What can you infer about this situation?

A little boy is sitting with his mother in a doctor’s office, listlessly leaning against her. When she gives him a cup to sip some water, he slowly pushes it away. After a while, he begins to whimper and puts a hand to his neck. What can you infer from this situation?

Max stepped up to the plate. He held the bat up and stared intently at the pitcher as he watched several balls fly by. Then, he walked back to the dugout and sat down. What can you infer from this passage?

Every morning, Mr. Anthony gets up early and puts on his uniform. He makes sure his badge is on straight and takes his gun from a locked box in his desk. He walks out to his driveway where his car, with the large lights on its roof, is waiting. He gets into his car and drives to the station. From this passage you can infer that Mr. Anthony is:

Over a loudspeaker, a voice announces that Flight 240 for Los Angeles is now boarding. You see dozens of people pulling wheeled suitcases up and down a wide hallway. At one end of the hall is an area with several uniformed men and women talking to each person who passes through a gate. You can infer that you are in:

Lenora wakes up early. She has to be on the set by 6:00 AM. She doesn’t bother to do her hair or put on makeup. The makeup artist and hair dresser at work will take care of that for her. She dresses in comfortable clothes and sneakers. She’ll change into her costume before filming begins. Based on this description, you can infer that Lenora is:

Kevin ran to the mailbox. With his back turned to the house, he opened the envelope containing his report card. After a quick, confirming glance, he crumpled the report card and stuffed it into his pocket. He went into the house, put the rest of the mail on the kitchen table, and ran up to his room. From this passage you can infer that: